Lemon Brownies with Winter Berries

A while back, Helen Goh published a recipe in Good Weekend magazine for Lemon Brownies with Winter Berries.  I kept the recipe to make, but it has taken me some time to get around to it.

I am glad that I did though - these "brownies" are lemony, buttery and juicy from the berries.

I used red currants that I had stashed in the freezer - they looked very pretty in this slice: 

To make Helen's lemon brownies, you will need:

200g plain flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

250g butter, diced

300g sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

100ml lemon juice

3 eggs, lightly beaten

120g fresh or frozen berries (not strawberries)

icing sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to lift the brownies out of the tin.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant.

Place the butter into a medium saucepan and melt it,   then add the sugar and stir until the mixture us smooth and shiny.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, followed by the eggs. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to just combine.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin, and scatter the berries on top.  Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin on a wire rack until completely cool.

Remove the brownies from the tin, dust with icing sugar, and cut into squares or bars as desired.